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Two individuals have been detained as an element of an investigation into the illegal deposit of several thousand of tons of waste in a field in Oxfordshire, England.

Officials reported that a 69-year-old was detained at a residence in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in the town of Slough in association with the huge heap of rubbish dumped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These apprehensions follow a recent report which exposed the presence of over 500 unlawful sites in England, including at a minimum of 11 so-called "large-scale sites" bigger than 20,000 tons.

A representative for the environmental agency stated that the detentions were for environment-related and financial crimes and represented a "vital step" in active inquiries. Both men have been released on pre-trial release.

Magnitude of the Problem

The dump in near Kidlington, positioned between the river Cherwell and the A34, is believed to contain about 21,000 metric tons of rubbish in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) in height.

This pile of garbage is consists of what seems to be sorted household refuse, fragmented plastics, expanded polystyrene, tyres and other domestic objects.

It represents just one example of 517 unlawful tips throughout England, at least 11 of which contain more than 20,000 tonnes of garbage. They include a 280,000-tonne area in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne tip in the county of Kent.

The overall number of such bigger dumps is likely to be higher, as the regulatory authority has in the past stated it does not maintain information on tonnage for all unauthorized dump.

Most these sites are in countryside settings, often hidden, and on land that is zoned as arable ground.

Organized Enterprise

Law enforcement say many are operated by organized crime groups, who are earning cash by charging far less than lawful companies to accept and bury waste.

Firms have to incur disposal fees to use lawful waste facilities, depending on the volume and type of material they are trying to dispose of, and a waste tax is also applied at just over £126 per tonne.

Local Outrage

Preparatory operations to remove the affected site commenced in recent weeks following worries over the potential of blaze and the impact that would have on the nearby A-road.

A private waste clearance contractor has been given the job to remediate the site over the next 12 months at a price of £9.6m.

An enforcement officer for the national regulatory team stated that the agency would be looking to recover the remediation funds under proceeds of crime legislation from anyone prosecuted at the termination of its current case.

She noted that the recent apprehensions would help "push the probe forward" and enable authorities to "investigate more leads to ascertain precisely what transpired and who was involved".

"This illegal dump at this location was an appalling and calculated assault on our ecology and the authorities share the public's frustration at this horrific act," she remarked.

A government representative welcomed the arrests, stating: "The illegal deposit of rubbish at the site is appalling and has led to considerable damage to the natural world and distress to the surrounding community.

"The authorities is committed to stamping out this kind of crime throughout the country, by boosting financing to tackle environmental crime, hiring more staff and enacting stricter checks and penalties for those who violate the rules."

The apprehensions were made on the specified day by agents from a regional crime unit and come after an previous apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area in last November. He was released pending further enquiries.